Panel Votes for Painkiller Dose to be Reduced
More Regulated Use of Most Commonly Used Painkiller, Acetaminophen
Jun 30, 2009
The recommended dosage of acetaminophen, the generic name for a drug found in many medications such as Tylenol that is known to effectively relieve pain and reduce fevers, may soon be reduced after concerns about accidental overdoses and liver damage were reported.
A government advisory panel assembled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) met on June 29-30, 2009, to discuss the issues of liver damage that have been associated with the use of too much acetaminophen, an ingredient found in many over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs. Taking more than the recommended dosage could lead to liver damage such as abnormalities in liver function blood tests, acute liver failure and even death.
Panel Votes to Reduce Recommended Dosage
In an article written by Jared A. Favole for the Wall Street Journal, he reports that the panel voted 21 to 16 to recommend that the maximum daily dose of acetaminophen be lowered from 4,000 milligrams to 2,600 milligrams and also recommended 500 milligram doses of acetaminophen be available in prescription form only. The panel has also voted against removing OTC medications that combine acetaminophen with other drugs from U.S. store shelves.
Acetaminophen is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States and is prevalent in many OTC medications such as Tylenol and NyQuil, as well as prescription medications such as Vicodin and Percocet. Patients who take several different medications without knowing this ingredient is present could be led to an accidental overdose of acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen and Liver Damage
Acetaminophen, which is safe to take at recommended levels according to the FDA, can lead to accidental overdoses in patients who use a combination of pain relievers and cough and cold medicines that also contain the ingredient.
According to a CNN report which cited a FDA study, overdoses of acetaminophen have been linked to 56,000 emergency room visits, 26,000 hospitalizations and 458 deaths during the 1990s.
A 2007 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also estimated that acetaminophen was a likely cause for a majority of the 1,600 acute liver failures reported each year.
In the agenda for the meeting, the FDA acknowledges that “acetaminophen is an important drug used to treat pain and fever in both settings and is not seeking to remove it from the market. However, acetaminophen containing products are used extensively making the absolute number of liver injury cases a public health concern.”
How to Properly Use the Medication
The FDA recommends ways to lower the risk of liver damage by never taking more than the recommended dosage of acetaminophen, taking only one medication at a time that contains acetaminophen and not taking the medication for more days than directed.
